Co-presented with Midsumma Festival 2018, QueerTech.io requires you to take a leap into the queer digital realm with an art project that presents a range of tech-based artworks from queer-identifying artists around the world. Able to be viewed online entirely from the comfort of your home, QueerTech.io will also be taking over RMIT's Spare Room and Lightscapes galleries for a physical presentation of works that push the boundaries of digital art and creative practice. As the boundaries of digital art only expand and become increasingly obscure, QueerTech.io responds to the growing interest in the practice of "queer tech" seeing local and international artists come together — both digitally and physically — with provocative artworks and online projects to enact conversation in the budding medium. QueerTech.io is on now at RMIT's Spare Room and Lightscapes galleries until Thursday, March 22 – or you can check it all out online at QueerTech.io. Image: Xanthe Dobbie, Fuchsia Rose (2001), from the series 21st Century Greatest Hits Screensaver Pack.
These days, Melbourne has more food festivals than you can poke a celery stick at, but Festival21, which returns to Melbourne's Meat Market next February, puts a different spin on the concept of culinary celebration. It's pulling together a lineup of inspiring guest experts from all walks of life, to explore the idea of creating change through food. Punters young and old will score a whole bunch of fresh food perspectives, with a program of free panels, talks, demonstrations and workshops. Actor and documentarian Damon Gameau (That Sugar Film) and CEO of global platform EAT Dr Sandro Demaio will be among those busting open myths surrounding diets and healthy eating for the What Should I Eat? session. Meanwhile, the solutions to food and plastic waste will be discussed in Can We Eat Our Way Out? with Greenpeace's David Ritter, Miranda Sharp from the Melbourne Farmers Markets and Tim Silverwood from non-profit Take 3 for the Sea. The final session, dubbed The Food Chain, will explore the five key stages of food production through a mix of comedy, film, music and discussions, led by the likes of Joost Bakker, I Quit Sugar's Sarah Wilson and renowned cook and food writer Stephanie Alexander. To keep you fuelled, there'll be eats from social enterprise Free To Feed and locally made drops from Noisy Ritual's pop-up wine bar. Festival21 events are free, though you'll need to register in advance to claim a spot at individual sessions. Early bird tickets have sold out. The final release will go on sale on December 1, 2018.
The 2020 edition of Melbourne Fringe is pencilled in for November, but in the meantime, organisers are serving up a little taster of things to come, by way of new digital arts celebration called Virtual Common Rooms (VCR) Festival. It's a smorgasbord of performance, music and conversation, mostly live-streamed out of Fringe HQ at Trades Hall's Common Rooms, from Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 2. Beamed to screens across the weekend will be an inclusive, diverse program of works from some much-loved local artists, complete with pay-what-you-can pricing. Comedy darling Zoë Coombs Marr will unleash her latest show, Born Slippy, delivering a wild mix of lecture, laughs and live musings. Then, you can sink your teeth into Biladurang 2.0 — a new solo play from First Nations artist Joel Bray, streamed live from a Melbourne hotel. Those in the mood for some tunes can catch a virtual music theatre sing-along with Marie's Crisis, played live from New York, or shed a few uninhibited tears with a high-voltage set from noise-pop favourites Cry Club. And a special edition of dance party series Mr McClelland's Finishing School promises to transform your living room into a sweaty indie-pop rave. [caption id="attachment_778310" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cry Club by Giulia McGauran[/caption] Elsewhere in the lineup you'll find comedy, cabaret, and a series of arts-focused chats and discussions, including a panel hosted by artist and activist Carly Findlay on the future of access in the arts space. VCR Fest will feature an interactive digital foyer where you can mingle with artists and other audience members between shows. You'll need to register online in advance for performances, but tickets are purchased via a pay-what-you-can format, after each act. Biladurang 2.0 image: Pippa Samaya
Harvest organic food, music and art in the secluded and relaxing grounds of The Ranch on the Mornington Peninsula. The Ranch-O-Relaxo Spring Gathering will host over 25 house, techno and electronica performances over two days, with Romanian electronica superstar Mihai Popoviciu headlining the special festival. Far from your standard bush-doof, Ranch-o-Relaxo creates a laid-back, safe and mindful environment for friends and families to enjoy. The event kicks off with a long lunch, where you can tuck into a delicious roast spring lamb, sourced from a nearby paddock off the property. With full bellies, attendees can meander and explore curious light and art installations, chill out in a 'hubby hot tub' and listen and dance along to one of the great acts. Or just simply lay back and enjoy a film in the open air cinema. Spring bliss.
There's something eternally interesting about Yoko Ono. It's got a little to do with her mind-bending artwork, a bit more to do with the fact that she's a raunchy eighty-one-year-old nutjob, and a lot to do with the fact that she may have single-handedly maybe kind of broken up The Beatles. The woman is so divisive her name can be used as a verb. 'Yo.ko (v) 1. to ruin a universally loved creative endeavour'. Awkward. Regardless, we can't get enough of her. Sydney had its fill earlier this year with the amazing War is Over! (If You Want It) exhibition at the MCA, and now Melbourne's getting their turn. From April 9 - 23, Mossgreen Gallery in Armadale will be hosting the Australian launch of her new book Infinite Universe at Dawn. Documenting her most important pieces of art and activism, the book will be available for purchase, and an accompanying exhibition of limited edition artworks will also be on show in the gallery. Of the new book, which documents her life of art and activism, Ono said: "Seeds of ideas, like pebbles, were raining through my life. Genesis Publications has captured those seeds and presented them to you here, for your observation, selection and experimentation, to make their destination entirely yours.” Okay Yoko, whatever you say. Various limited edition prints will also be available for purchase from the exhibition on show April 9 - 23. Check the Mossgreen website for more information.
Melbourne's notorious north-south rivalry is taking a break this week as the Best of Both Sides Festival returns for another year. Hosted by sister bars Lucky Coq in Windsor and Bimbo Deluxe in Fitzroy, this annual love-in will feature close to 100 local musicians and DJs across the two venues, so you can spend your entire Easter weekend grooving no matter which side of the river you're on. Running from Thursday, April 13 until Monday, April 17, the festival will feature the likes of — *takes a deep breath* — Big Words, Sunshine, Illo, JPA, Kiti, Kodiak Kid, Ezra Harvey, Tom Prefect and many, many more. On top of the music, both Lucky Coq and Bimbos will be offering menu deals, with food and bevs available for just $5 a pop.
Prepare to cancel all your Wednesday night plans (i.e. laundry and Netflix) because we've got something much, much better. The Queen Victoria Market is bringing back its Summer Night Market for its 21st season of balmy tomfoolery. This means that after a day of toiling in the diamond mines or hosiery department (whatever your poison) you can cool off with a free evening of international street food, vintage fashion and handcrafted homewares. This year, the 17-week season, kicking off on November 21, will see more than 160 stalls descend on the starlit market, as well as a rotating weekly lineup of free live tunes and street performers. There'll also be giant Jenga, totem tennis and large-scale chess if you like to game your way out of your food comas. And don't even think about eating at home because they've got food vendors to suit every whim, including arepas from Colombiantojos, Polish dumplings from Pierogi Pierogi, Greek doughnuts from Taki's Balls and cheese and crêpes from Little Paris. And if a face full of food isn't enough to take the edge off, there'll be new brews from Melbourne's Brick Lane Brewing Co and prosecco spritzes at Night Market's wine bar, and mojitos and cider at the Garden Bar. The Summer Night Market will run every Wednesday night from November 21 to March 20 (excluding December 26) from 5–10pm.
Whether you're planning a non-alcohol stint for a cause this July or just looking to cut back on booze in general, you'll find a hefty range of boozeless tipples to shop this month at Preston Market. From Wednesday, June 29–Sunday, July 3, The Drink Swap is hitting the precinct to host its next booze-free pop-up, showcasing an array of non-alcoholic drinks sourced from across Australia and the world. From beer and wine, to spirits and mocktails, and even sangria, you'll have the chance to taste, learn about and buy a whole bunch of new favourites. Expect to find sips from both familiar and emerging labels, including Heaps Normal, Sobah, UpFlow, Plus & Minus Wines and Monday Distillery. The Drink Swap was born out of the pandemic after founder Rianna Chapman made the decision to curb her own booze habits. The business also donates a portion of profits to charities that help keep women safe from family violence, including the McAuley Community Services for Women.
If George Clooney can float around in space in Gravity and Matt Damon can get stranded on Mars in The Martian, then Brad Pitt can race buggies on the moon in Ad Astra. Another Ocean's 11 star, another intergalactic movie — and another big-screen sci-fi spectacle, obviously. Pitt plays Roy McBride, an Army Corps engineer who is determined to soar into the stars and beyond, all to follow in his father's (Tommy Lee Jones) footsteps. His dear old dad went missing on his own space mission in mysterious circumstances, and if Christopher Nolan's Interstellar taught us anything a few years ago, it's that searching for family and blasting out of this world seem to go hand-in-hand. Donald Sutherland, Liv Tyler and Loving's Ruth Negga also feature, with Ad Astra marking the latest release from The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z filmmaker. The latter is definitely cause for celebration, with the director's previous movies proving thoughtful, detailed, exquisitely performed dramas. Take all that to space — in a film that's been delayed a few times due to the extensive visual effects work required — and hopefully it'll soar. For a while, it's been a good time to watch great movies about big-name stars in space; just this month, Robert Pattinson blasts off in High Life, too. But if you're a Pitt fan, the next few months are shaping up to be particularly exciting — before he rockets to the outer edges of the solar system in Ad Astra, he'll be stepping back to the 60s in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Watch the first trailer for Ad Astra below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm3h6iWmIEw Ad Astra releases in Australian cinemas on September 19.
It's been two years since a certain global pandemic came along and crashed the party, giving our realities the ultimate shake-up. A string of lockdowns began, routines were thrown off-script and a whole stack of everyday experiences were put on hiatus. It was earth-shattering and it sucked, hard. But it also gave me a new appreciation for my 12 years of memories in this city and all the quintessential Melbourne moments I'd — hopefully — soon enjoy once again. Here, we've teamed up with our mates at the AFL to pay tribute to all the classic bits we missed most — and what we're most excited about returning to now that life as we know it slowly creeps back. From a spirited footy match alongside thousands of fellow roaring fans at the 'G or Marvel Stadium, to a packed live gig — these are a few of our favourite things, Melbourne. Welcome back. [caption id="attachment_847588" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Fletcher for Aunty Meredith, via Flickr[/caption] A WEEKEND ENVELOPED IN MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL Picture this: it's inconceivably early on a Friday morning in mid-December and you're travelling in convoy down the Princes Freeway, cars packed with camping gear and a tangible sense of excitement in the air. The annual pilgrimage to Meredith Music Festival has begun, and ahead of you is a weekend of open skies and live tunes. It's a warm, fuzzy memory for many locals, calling to mind blissful afternoon gigs in the 'Sup, communal sunset viewings atop Sunset Strip and long nights spent dancing in a happy crowd to sounds from a stellar lineup of acts. It's been an impossible two-year gap between visits; but that'll just make it all the more sweet when Aunty calls us up for the next edition of her wondrous summer musical escape. A SHOW-STOPPING AFL GAME — LIVE AND LOUD Your AFL team will always be your AFL team; whether they win or lose, and whether you cheer them on from the stadium or your couch. But oh boy, was it a shake-up not having the opportunity to see a game live for months on end. Now, after what feels like a lifetime, things are shifting back into balance and we've been gifted a whole new season of footy. And this time, we get to play spectator from wherever we fancy, be it the living room, the local pub, or right in the AFL heartland — the world-class stands at the MCG or Marvel Stadium, pie in hand and surrounded by fans. Give me a couple sessions of the latter and I'm betting the world will start feeling a whole lot closer to normal. MIDWEEK TRIVIA AT THE PUB When those temperatures start dipping and winter blues creep in, there's a surefire remedy to be found in a cosy night at the pub involving good company, a parma and a lively bout of trivia. And let's be honest — no amount of lockdown Zoom quiz sessions could ever come close to the real deal. Bring on some heated midweek fact-hurling as you and your (most competitive) mates battle it out at your local for trivial glory. And possibly a cheeky meat tray. For me, it'll be a Wednesday night Funky Bunch session at northside classic the Great Northern Hotel, where the prize is a bar tab, the parmas are generous and the beer list is always a winner. A LIVE, LOUD GIG Countless formative nights have been spent wedged among a mass of other music-lovers in front of a stage, reverberating to the sounds of a live act or DJ. And while restrictions hit pause on that beloved pastime for a hot minute, gigs are now, finally, back on the menu and many of the city's famed live music spots are back to doing what they do best. Bring on that next sweaty evening at the Corner Hotel (pictured above), sinking into some big, live sounds. And yes, it will be a late night complete with a post-show kebab, in honour of that long-forgotten lockdown curfew of yore. CELLAR DOOR-HOPPING THROUGH THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA Most Melburnians are lucky enough to live within a 90-minute drive from two celebrated wine regions, with both the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula on our doorstep. Which means it's totally doable to spend a solid day sipping your way between multiple cellar doors, enjoy a relaxed winery lunch and still be home in time for dinner. Last year, there was a point when a 'wine tour' involved shuffling from kitchen to living room — this year, I'm looking forward to hopping around the Peninsula between personal favourites like Kerri Greens, Montalto (pictured above) and Pt Leo Estate, and relegating that five-kilometre travel radius to a distant memory. A GROUP FEED TO REMEMBER Off the back of gathering restrictions, capacity limits and a whole lot of time spent not sharing meals with mates, the craving is real: I want a big group booking, a table full of folks I love and a night spent eating well while celebrating nothing in particular. After all, lively catch-ups over food are always the best kind. For a true Melbourne classic, opt for the loaded lazy susans and late-night vibe of Chinatown's Supper Inn, or lock in a date with Jim's Greek Tavern for its cacophonous dining room and waiters who won't let you leave until you're bursting. [caption id="attachment_793390" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matthew Murphy[/caption] DINNER AND A SHOW The many couch-and-Netflix sessions of lockdown served us well, but there's just no comparing that setup to a night out on the town with dinner and a show. Luckily for us, the city's already switched on its theatrical charms once again, with runs of Hamilton, Moulin Rouge! The Musical and An American in Paris gracing our stages, and scores more to come. Of course, they're all best enjoyed with a pre-show bite or post-curtain feed at some fine establishment in Melbourne's theatre pocket — hit The European for its old-world charms and honest fare, or venture above street level for a seat on Siglo's famed terrace. [caption id="attachment_795370" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of Alicja Kwade's work WeltenLinie 2020 © Alicja Kwade, courtesy König Galerie, Berlin. Photo: Tom Ross[/caption] A PROPER CULTURE FIX It's safe to say that back-to-back lockdowns led to some very culture-starved Melburnians. Like most, getting extra familiar with the inside of my house left me with serious cravings for a proper art fix. Now, not only are our famed galleries and cultural spaces open once again, but we're lucky enough to have a calendar chock-full of blockbuster, buzzworthy new exhibitions heading our way. I'm more than ready for afternoons spent soaking up art while wandering the halls and grounds of the NGV, feeding my curious side with visits to Melbourne Museum and embracing the movie magic of ACMI. BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH For those who can cook eggs, brunch itself wasn't a true casualty of lockdown. But bottomless brunch? That, my friends, is a weekend tradition that can just never quite be replicated at home. You're already imagining it: a serve of smashed avo, a loaded brekkie roll, or maybe some chicken and waffles, paired with a few free-flowing espresso martinis or mimosas and a couple of your brunch-obsessed besties by your side. It's a mood, and when Melbourne is in fighting form, it does it oh so well. Make up for all those bottomless brunches that didn't happen last year and lock in a weekend date at the likes of Bodega Underground, Half Acre or Fargo & Co. The 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership season is finally here— and we couldn't be more excited. For more info, head to the website.
Supple Fox, the folks behind Dark Mofo's Ferris Wheel of Death, are hitting Melbourne for three weeks. And, thanks to riverside bar and eatery Arbory, they're bringing with them a living art installation. Titled The Ends, it'll be taking over the narrow slip of land between the Yarra and Flinders Street Station between October 5 and 23. Prepare for a steady stream of art, live performance and unexpected happenings on and around the river. Leading the project is the world premiere of artist Shaun Gladwell's latest work. Its star is Maddest Maximus, a new Aussie anti-hero who dresses in black, wears a helmet and floats high above the Tasman Sea. Gladwell's mixed media photographic pieces will be arranged around the site, in conversation with the landscape. Meanwhile, fellow Dark Mofo alumni The Huxleys have been commissioned to create a series of sculptures, which you'll find suspended in palm trees, growing out of roof tops and, every now and again, casually floating by on rowboats. And Melbourne-based performance artist Gabi Barton has choreographed a slew of unpredictable movements and happenings for the space. So, between riverside cocktails, keep an eye and ear out. "We very consciously looked to create something that felt human, breathing, absurd and curious," said Hannah Fox, who co-founded Supple Fox with Tom Supple. "And to directly reject the clean lines and endless triangles of the Melbourne design world." The Ends will happen at Abory Bar and Eatery every evening from 6.30pm till late between October 5 and 23.
On the surface, it may seem like food culture and gaming culture are literally worlds apart. But, dig a little deeper and you'll quickly see that they boast no shortage of similarities. Both inspire connection, both can offer a truly immersive experience, and both can instantly transport you to another place or time. And it's these very crossovers being celebrated this month for PlayStation to Plate — an innovative new dining concept that sees much-loved Aussie chefs bring virtual food from the PlayStation universe to life. From Friday, December 3–Sunday, December 12, three Aussie eateries will each create a limited-edition menu item that reimagines an iconic video game dish IRL. The restaurants are serving up their signature creations across all ten days of the pop-up, but you can also have any of the dishes dropped to your door courtesy of Deliveroo. Morgan Hipworth, the young gun baker behind Melbourne's Bistro Morgan, is no stranger to whipping up eye-popping, otherworldly desserts. His Windsor bakehouse is famed for its vibrant rotation of inventive doughnuts, cookies and sweet treats. And this month, Hipworth is unleashing that creative flair on the gaming world, to deliver an IRL recreation of Chef Tulio's Sirangian Honey Mousse from Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart. The game is a high-impact, dimension-hopping adventure through multi-coloured worlds, the energy of which the young chef has translated into an eye-catching dessert layered into a jar. "Ratchet & Clank is full of heaps of different dimensions, so I've created a multi-layered taste experience," Hipworth explains to Concrete Playground. "We start off with a layer of strawberry jelly and then top it with a house-made vanilla bean custard, a layer of strawberries and chocolate sponge cake, and then that all-important Sirangian honey mousse," he describes. "And it's green, because it's from another dimension!" [caption id="attachment_835418" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Morgan Hipworth, of Bistro Morgan[/caption] It was a fitting choice for Hipworth, who dubbed the virtual dessert 'a perfect match'. "This dish really brought out the fun of the Ratchet & Clank world, as well as the creativity of why I fell in love with baking," he adds. As for how he reworked an animated dish into an edible off-screen creation? "I wanted to channel the fun and spirit of the game, and bring the colourful world to life," Hipworth says. The chef selected flavours that he knew worked well together and then cleverly rejigged them in the form of a classic Aussie treat. "Trifle is such an iconic dessert," the baker explains. "Bringing a fun twist to it with some Sirangian honey seemed like the best choice." As with all of Bistro Morgan's dessert creations, this one aims to also deliver a serve of escapism. "I want my customers to be transported to another dimension, and you can do this with flavours, smells and colours," he shares. After all, for this dessert king, the leap between the worlds of hospitality and gaming is often not that huge. "One of my favourite things about food is how immersive it is — and the exact same thing could be said for gaming," Hipworth explains. "Both have the ability to connect and bring people together. Both have an innate ability to instantly transport you to another place or time." Catch PlayStation to Plate from December 3–12, in Sydney and Melbourne. You'll find each dish featured on the menu at its respective venue, as well as being available for takeaway via Deliveroo.
An entire day celebrating cruelty-free living, this massive community-run festival showcases everything a modern vegan needs. Peruse a whole host of stalls flogging their vegan wares from beauty, natural therapies, food-turned-vegan stuffs (stock up on your fake meats and cheeses) and animal rights charities. Looking to 'Meet Your Pear'? There’ll be vegan speed dating on the day — open to vegetarians too. There'll also be food demonstrations, a vegan fashion show from up-and-coming designers, live bands and roving circus performers. For those wanting to learn a thing or two between shopping and eating, the talks area will have presentations on subjects like the importance of Meatless Monday, Amazon rainforest destruction and cattle rearing. The Fitness Zone provides bodybuilding and exercise tips for animal product-derived fitness nuts. Whether you're vegan, vego, carnivorous or simply curious, this is one open-minded event you'll have plenty to talk about after. Image: Pana Chocolate.
Fresh off the back of holiday season, January is best enjoyed when it's packed full of extracurricular fun to extend those laidback vacation vibes just a little bit longer. And this summer, The District Docklands is the place to be for just that, when it dishes up a free program of music and entertainment for its District Live series. Returning every Saturday from January 7–January 28, the festivities will feature free live gigs from a stack of big-name and emerging acts — Daddy Cool's Ross Wilson, Eurovision star Isaiah Firebrace and pop darling Montaigne included. The OG Red Wiggle aka Murray Cook will even be taking a spin on the DJ decks. To enjoy in between the tunes, you'll find a rotation of food and drink pop-ups making an appearance throughout the series, featuring favourites like Urban Alley, Dal Zotto and Tarsier Gin. Plus, there's a program of additional activities to keep you further entertained — including pub trivia, a makers market, paint 'n sip sessions and even a silent disco held in a maze. [caption id="attachment_883740" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ross Wilson, by Anna Bartle[/caption] Top Image: Jess Gleeson
Steel your stomach for a meal unlike any you've ever had. On Monday October 3 at Grub Food Van in Fitzroy, the Social Food Project's Ben Mac will serve up a sustainable harvest-style tasting event featuring creepy, crawly dishes including ant crepes and tempura cricket San Choy Bow. The event is part of this year's Environmental Film Festival Australia, and is inspired by a trio of documentaries in the program – Bugs on the Menu, Kubo's Crickets and Sustainable – that explores ways of overcoming a global food shortage including entomophagy. The concept of eating insects certainly isn't a new one, but in practice it remains largely foreign to those of us in the west. Grub's Bug Dinner should prove an interesting challenge for adventurous foodies who pride themselves on their willingness to try new things. And hey, your $140 place at the table includes drinks, which should help you work up the courage to take your first bite.
UPDATE: May 24, 2020: Zombieland: Double Tap is available to stream via iTunes — and via Amazon Prime Video from Monday, May 25. What a delight the original Zombieland was. Led by Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin, and proving witty and wildly creative in handling its gory subject matter, the unconventional zombie road movie breathed new life into a stagnating genre. Featuring playful additions like cutaways to various zombie kills of the week, plus zombie survival rules that were neatly and contextually transposed across the screen during the action, the film paired horror, comedy and a top-notch troupe of actors to deliver an instant cult classic. Fast-forward ten years and many, many zombie films later, and we get Zombieland: Double Tap (with its name serving up a clever play on its sequel status, as well as referencing rule #2: 'the double tap', aka two shots to a zombie's head to ensure that it's truly dead). From the get-go, Double Tap reminds viewers about its trope-subverting approach, with Eisenberg's voiceover thanking the audience for choosing to watch this movie when there are so many other zombie options out there. Funny, yes, but is our allegiance rewarded? Only just. With the team now living safely in the White House, Double Tap finds itself in similar territory to season three of The Walking Dead. The zombies no longer represent much of a threat, meaning that the bulk of the tension comes from interpersonal, human-to-human conflict. Of that, there's a lot to choose from. Columbus and Wichita's (Eisenberg and Stone) romance has entered the ho-hum phase, while the de facto father-daughter relationship between Tallahassee and Little Rock (Harrelson and Breslin) is at once suffocating and frustrating, with both eager to head back out in search of adventure (and people their own age). Sure enough, the group soon splits, setting the film up for a rescue mission storyline — because, inevitably, things go awry. Relegating zombies to the level of mere background nuisance is always a risk, and in Double Tap it doesn't pay off — instead, it sucks much of the energy out of the film. Even the actors seem bored most of the time, leaving it to the movie's new additions to up the ante. Luckily, that's where Double Tap really delivers. Supporting players such as Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, Avan Jogia, Thomas Middleditch and Zoey Deutch provide periodic shots of cinematic epinephrine, jolting the film back into life each time it begins to fade. Deutch, in particular, delivers a cracking performance as Ugg-booted, tracksuited mall girl ditz Madison, managing to find incredible range for such a one-note role. Her casual invention of Uber (to the mockery of everyone else) is one of the film's funnier and smarter moments, as is the arrival of Wilson and Middleditch, albeit borrowing heavily from Shaun of the Dead. Directed by the original's Ruben Fleischer (who also helmed last year's Venom), and written by fellow returnees Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick with Godzilla's Dave Callaham, there's just enough in Double Tap to justify its existence, offering smatterings of new material amid the admittedly still amusing trip back to very familiar territory. Stay put, too, for the credits, which gift us a welcome secret cameo from an old favourite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUW5ZYwk2zQ
When a festival announces its program, numbers go flying, detailing how many shows, artists, sessions, days, premieres and the like are on offer. RISING's 2024 lineup is no different — but one specific part of this year's bill has its own figures to note, including the fact that 19 cast members from six countries will play 50 characters, and that the stage production charts four generations over five decades. Theatre fans in Victoria's capital can be forgiven for thinking "finally!" about Counting and Cracking's premiere Melbourne season, which will take place from Friday, May 31–Sunday, June 23 at Union Theatre, University of Melbourne. RISING is clearly expecting a big response to the Sri Lankan-Australian saga, with the production arriving before the broader fest kicks off on Saturday, June 1 and running after it finishes for 2024 on Sunday, June 16. First staged in 2019 in Sydney, the play from S Shakthidharan has proven a hit overseas, too, before its RISING berth. After debuting at Sydney Festival, it's also wowed audiences at the Edinburgh International Festival and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and collected a heap of accolades such as the Victorian Premier's Prize for Literature, the NSW Premier's Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting, and Helpmann Awards for Best Production and Best Direction. As co-produced by Belvoir St Theatre and Kurinji, with the former's Artistic Director Eamon Flack directing, Shakthidharan's stage favourite spans three acts, with the first starting at Sydney's Georges River. That's where ashes are being scattered by Radha and her son Siddartha, but their ties with Sri Lanka's complicated history aren't severed yet thanks to a call from Colombo. "The stories we choose to believe in underline all our actions, thoughts and feelings. In Counting and Cracking, I hope to provide audiences with a new story to believe in: about Australia, about Sri Lanka. It's a story in which migrants are not asked to discard parts of themselves to fit in, but instead are asked to present their full selves, to expand our idea of what this country can be," explains Shakthidhidharan. "It's a story of how the politics of division can win the battle, but never the war, around how power is gained in this world. It's a story in which love may not triumph over adversity, but through sheer persistence and resilience can eventually overcome it. And finally it's a story about reconciliation: between parents and children, between your new home and your old home, between society and its institutions." Images: Brett Boardman.
The sonic cinema lovers at Hear My Eyes present a mash-up of incredible short film along with an original soundtrack to match. Taking over the Melbourne Fringe Hub on the night of Wednesday, September 28, Form as Vibration will see Melbourne musos Emma Russack and Errol Green provide the aural accompaniment to a pair of shorts, Migration and Yul and the Snake from America and France respectively. Joining them on the night will be Lucas Skinner from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, who'll present a two-hour set from his personal vinyl collection. In the words of the programmers, films will never sound the same.
What's this, a good, old-fashioned fairytale — and one that doesn't rely upon shadowing a classic story in darkness, looking at it from a different angle or adding a twist? That'd be the latest version of Cinderella, one so close to the animated effort everyone grew up with, it's uncanny. Swap cartoons for live action, and you've got the gist. Thankfully, this new take on a decades-old movie and a centuries-old tale doesn’t just lovingly revisit our collective childhoods, as enjoyably nostalgic an exercise as that is. This retelling stays faithful to the story as well as its spirit, spinning an account of transformation driven by kindness and free from modern-day cynicism. Before she earned her nickname for sleeping too close to the fire, Ella was a ten-year-old (Eloise Webb) mourning for her mother (Hayley Atwell), and then a young woman (Lily James) witnessing the remarriage of her father (Ben Chaplin). Next, she's an orphan forced to cook and clean for her nasty stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and two shallow stepsisters (Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger), while wanting nothing more than a break from the drudgery to attend a ball hosted by a handsome prince (Richard Madden). Where this is going is hardly a surprise, yet here familiarity is by no means a flaw. Though director Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Chris Weitz have films like Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and The Twilight Saga: New Moon on their respective resumes, they both show that they know a thing or two about fleshing out well-known worlds, particularly through casting and revelling in the details. Any movie that boasts both Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter is already making wishes come true; however, using them to toy with audience expectations is a masterstroke. The immaculately styled Blanchett breaks bad with aplomb, and Bonham Carter is a breezy delight at the fairy godmother. While everyone else is more than fine, the charming pair of James and Madden included, the two great actresses playing against type are the real drawcards. Well, them and the gorgeous surroundings they all find themselves in, with Cinderella a visual treat. For the character, the decadence of pumpkin carriages and gorgeous gowns may vanish at the stroke of midnight; for the film, the splendour continues regardless of the hour. It's not just Cinders herself who's as pretty as a picture, but the picture itself. If you really were to dream of a traditional fairytale world of grand ballrooms and sprawling forests, it would look like this. That timeless approach may also extend to a heroine who largely waits rather than acts — patiently and purposefully, rather than as a damsel in distress looking for a man to save her — but never does the treatment of the tale feel regressive. Indeed, it's a funny state of affairs when retaining the essence of a classic can be seen as a welcome breath of fresh air. With Cinderella, its old-fashioned elegance is the glass slipper that fits the film just perfectly.
After a successful debut in 2014, tilde: Melbourne Trans and Gender Diverse Film Festival is back for its second year. Moving across town from Carlton's Bella Union to the Lithuanian Club in North Melbourne, the festival's sophomore program will once again showcase contemporary features, documentaries and shorts made by trans and gender diverse filmmakers, alongside films featuring trans and gender diverse content and characters. The festival, which runs from November 13-15, begins with Canadian comedy-drama Two 4 One, about a trans man named Adam whose life is thrown into turmoil with the reappearance of an ex-girlfriend. Other standouts include The New Man — a documentary co-production between Uruguay and Chile about a trans woman living in poverty in Montevideo — and Something Must Break, a Swedish coming of age film about a romance between two young people on the fringes of society. The program is bolstered by a lineup of fiction and documentary short films. For the full tilde program, visit their website.
For the first three days of summer, Brick Lane Brewing's new Queen Vic Market location will be slinging a dozen fresh oysters for $13 — that's just over a dollar a pop. The deal will run from Friday, December 1–Sunday, December 3 (from 5pm until close), during which time the team will also be showcasing a few of the brewery's beers at discounted prices. Pair your fresh oysters with either a schooner of the Revolver Dark Hoppy Ale or Hi-Fi Dry Zero Carb Japanese Lager for an easy $7. Yeah, sparkling wine might be the pairing of choice for fresh oysters, but prices like this make the unusual combo well worth a try. Head to Brick Lane Market's raw bar on the second level of the venue to find the cheap oysters sourced directly from the QVM Seafood Hall. Then nab one of the tables on the wrap-around terrace overlooking the market for peak summer vibes. Images: Carmen Zammit.
Whoever said barbecue feasts were just for meat-lovers, probably hasn't tried any of The B.East's famously good vegan fare. The Brunswick East home of live tunes and US eats knows what's up and it's hosting an all-vegan, three-course, southern-inspired lunch to prove it. Happening across two sessions on Saturday, March 23 — from 12–2pm and 2.30–4.30pm — as part of this year's Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, the plant-based feast will take diners on a trip through Tennessee. You'll find yourself working your way through dreamy dishes like chipotle mac 'n' cheese, fried 'chicken' and gravy, jalapeño hush puppies with maple butter and vegan barbecue brisket. Word is, there'll even be a cheeky dessert inspired by Elvis Presley. Of course, as with any true fiestas inspired by the South, there'll also be bourbon aplenty — think, bourbon spritzes and a bourbon white chocolate sour — as well as a fitting soundtrack, with tunes from PBS's Mohair Slim.
As part of its 20th birthday celebrations, Southbank's Pure South Dining is set to host an exclusive culinary event with Burgundy producer Bouchard Père et Fils for one night only this May. Guests will be treated to a meticulously crafted five-course set menu showcasing the finest Tasmanian produce, expertly paired with 10 exceptional wines. The evening's wine program — curated by Luke Campbell of Vinified and renowned sommelier and wine judge, and Victor Pepin, Global Director of Bouchard — will see Tasmanian chardonnay and pinot noir pitted against some of Burgundy's finest drops. Glasses will be paired with Executive Chef David Hall's five-course menu which highlights the freshest ingredients from Tasmania, King Island, and Flinders Island, including free-range Muscovy duck, St Helens oysters, deep-reef white fish, and King Island lobster. Tickets are priced at $395, and includes a glass of champagne on arrival. Vinified members are eligible for a discounted price of $295. Be sure to book your spot now, as places are limited.
Vegans, hold onto your tempeh — the team behind beloved vegan eateries Smith & Daughters and Smith & Deli have revealed their top-secret, work-of-genius recipes to the world. After announcing back in April that such a delight was coming, the Fitzroy restaurant and deli have released their first ever cookbook, featuring a whole heap of Smith & Daughters' crazy how-did-they-do-that? creations from head chef Shannon Martinez. If you've ever wanted to get your hot little hands on their warm Spanish vegan doughnut recipe, this is your chance. Smith & Daughters: A Cookbook (That Happens to be Vegan) is all about plant-based innovation in the kitchen (as the name suggests, the fact that there's no meat or animal products involved is almost besides the point). Your new go-to healthy cooking bible features seven chapters filled with more than 80 recipes, featuring everything from big plates, small plates and salads, to sweets, dressings and drinks. Yes, our tummies are rumbling too. Think old classics given a Spanish-infused, vegan twist, such as 'chorizo' and potato, 'meatballs' in a saffron almond sauce, chipotle cashew 'cheese', 'tuna' and green pea croquettes, and spiced Mexican flan. No word yet if Smith & Daughters' recipe for their vegan mac 'n' cheese is included. Smith & Daughters' co-owners Martinez and Mo Wyse do a roaring trade in Fitzroy, and launched lunchtime spinoff Smith & Deli around the corner from their Brunswick Street restaurant last year. They're one of our favourite vegan joints in Melbourne, so naturally we're pretty amped to try their recipes at home. The Smith & Daughters cookbook is out now through Hardie Grant Books. For more information about Smith & Daughters, check out their Facebook page. By Sarah Ward and Tom Clift.
Following a massive five-year renovation, Hotel Sorrento has finally unveiled its completed look. The Mornington Peninsula's uber-cool, world-class boutique resort has expanded its offerings, marking a new benchmark for coastal luxury in Victoria. The pub has been in the hands of the Pitt family since 1981, and across three generations, it has undergone extensive transformations, including this latest multi-phase project. First, the development saw luxury accommodation, a pool, spa and wellness facilities added on to the venue. And now, the final upgrades have been unveiled to include a New York-style Lobby Bar, an openair wellness terrace, conference and event facilities, and several new luxury suites. "The completion of this development isn't just a milestone for us; it redefines what hospitality looks like on the Mornington Peninsula. We grew up in this hotel, and to now see it fully realised as a resort destination that offers world-class hospitality and wellness is something we're incredibly proud of," says Myles Pitt, Director at Hotel Sorrento. The new Lobby bar, designed by Six Degrees Architects, is inspired by globally recognised venues such as The Bowery Hotel in New York. Whether it's an early morning coffee, an afternoon aperitif, or a post-dinner cocktail, the low-lit space is an intimate and sophisticated place to slow down and unwind. The new openair terrace will complement the hotel's existing wellness offering, Marlo Spa. With seaviews, a travertine yoga deck wrapped in lush greenery and sun-soaked, laidback vibes, it'll be a great spot to settle in over summer. "As a family, we are thrilled to provide an offering that reflects what we love — not only spaces for people to connect and celebrate, but also an opportunity to invest in their health and wellbeing. We are passionate about balance, and Hotel Sorrento certainly now provides that," says Marcus Pitt, Director at Hotel Sorrento. Images: Supplied.
They're taking the hobbits to Isengard at The Astor Theatre this winter, with one movie marathon to rule them all. Round up the Fellowship, stock up on lembas bread for sustenance and hide your finest pipe-weed from the Southfarthing for one sitting of all three of Peter Jackson's beloved OG Tolkien film adaptations. Kicking off with The Fellowship of the Ring and ending with The Return of the King (with The Two Towers in the middle, of course), this cave troll of a marathon clocks in at over nine hours plus intermissions — with the journey starting at 1pm on Saturday, July 23. If you make it through breakfast and second breakfast to the final handful of endings, you can pat yourself on the back and smash a ringwraith screech at the nearest person on your way home (note: do not actually screech at people). Tickets are the precious and come in at $35 for the whole ordeal. And, you'll be watching all three films in remastered 4K versions of their original cuts — so expect to see Middle Earth in more detail than you've seen in before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_WZxJpHzEE
Melbourne loves itself some culture. We are a City of Literature. We have all the artistic acronyms in the land: NGV, ACCA, MWF, EWF, HMT, CCP. We have that one guy in Degraves Street subway who's always doing covers of 'Wonderwall'. What a champ. But if there's one thing we all hold close to our art-lovin' hearts it's the Melbourne Festival. From October 11 – 27, our fine city becomes host to a whole new crop of international artistic talent, and while the full program is impressive, it's also a little unwieldy. Neon discotheques, harmonicas carved from handguns, Blues Brothers, and Duchamp. This year's festival really does cater to all tastes. Check out our list of top picks here.
UPDATE, September 17, 2021: Another Round is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Even the most joyous days and nights spent sipping your favourite drink can have their memory tainted by a hangover. Imbibe too much, and there's a kicker just waiting to pulsate through your brain and punish your body when all that alcohol inevitably starts to wear off. For much of Another Round, four Copenhagen school teachers try to avoid this feeling. The film they're in doesn't, though. It lays bare the ups and downs of knocking back boozy beverages, and it also serves up a finale that's a sight to behold. Without sashaying into spoiler territory, the feature's last moments are a thing of sublime beauty. Some movies end in a WTF, "what were they thinking?" kind of way — for a recent example, see Wild Mountain Thyme — but this Oscar-shortlisted Danish film comes to a conclusion with a big and bold showstopper that's also a piece of bittersweet perfection. The picture's highest-profile star, Mads Mikkelsen (Arctic), is involved. His pre-acting background as an acrobat and dancer comes in handy, too. Unsurprisingly, the substances that flow freely throughout the feature remain prominent. And, so does the canny and candid awareness that life's highs and lows just keep spilling, plus the just-as-shrewd understanding that the line between self-sabotage and self-release is as thin as a slice of lemon garnishing a cocktail. That's how Another Round wraps up, in one the many masterstrokes splashed onto the screen by writer/director Thomas Vinterberg (Kursk)) and his co-scribe Tobias Lindholm (A War). The film's unforgettable finale also expertly capitalises upon a minor plot detail that viewers haven't realised had such significance until then, and that couldn't typify this excellent effort's layered approach any better. But, ending with a bang isn't the movie's only achievement. In fact, it's full of them. The picture's savvy choices start with its premise, which sees the quiet and reserved Martin (Mikkelsen) and his fellow educators Tommy (Thomas Bo Larsen, Veni Vidi Vici), Peter (Lars Ranthe, Warrior) and Nikolaj (Magnus Millang, The Commune) all decide to put an out-there theory to the test. Motivated by real-life Norwegian psychiatrist Finn Skårderud, they conduct an experiment that involves being permanently sauced. Skårderud has hypothesised that humans are born with a blood alcohol deficit of 0.05 percent, so, with some cajoling needed on Martin's part, the quartet work that idea into their daily lives. Ground rules are established, and the shots, sneaky sips and all-hours drinking swiftly begins. Another Round's concept might initially seem like a gimmick. Contending that constantly being under the influence of alcohol is better for humans than sobriety sounds like something that a teenager might mix up, after all. And yet, that premise is never treated as a goofy stunt by Vinterberg, Lindholm and their cast (even if it's easy to imagine how the sure-to-happen US remake will handle the situation). Instead, Another Round uses its underlying idea to uncork a wealth of sharp and raw insights into men, midlife malaise and group behaviour. It pours out more than a few observations on the weight of societal expectations, and the male tendency to internalise rather than express one's feelings as well. These notions are evident when Martin and his pals start drinking to commence their days and to get through them, but they only get more potent as the film goes on. As the four teachers commit to doing whatever they need to maintain their sloshed state, it doesn't take long for them to veer away from their own guidelines. Also quick and easy: straying away from the high-minded notion that they're getting drunk in the name of science and not just because they're each unhappy with their lives in their own ways. Whether you're a keen social drinker or you stay away from the hard stuff completely, Another Round doesn't trade in unrealistic revelations — because we all know that no amount of alcohol, or lack of it, can ever solve all of life's problems. But the film approaches its subject with equally clear, playful and melancholy eyes, especially where Martin is concerned. Before his friends suggest non-stop day-drinking, he's in a rut. When he asks his wife Anika (Maria Bonnevie, Becoming Astrid) if he's boring, it's obvious that she wants to say yes. At school, his students are so worried about his absence of enthusiasm that they tell him they think his bland teaching could cost them marks in their exams. Then, one drop at a time, he starts proving Skårderud's theory. He's creative, confident and courageous, and feels more like himself. It takes an immense amount of skill on Vinterberg's part to convey that change, ground it in reality and never lose sight of the grim repercussions of overindulging. As aided by the movie's naturalistic colour scheme and graceful framing, it takes just as much to ensure the entire film remains frank, unflinching and yet also warm and sometimes humorous. One of Denmark's best directors, Vinterberg was always going to rise to the challenge. Earning the same description in his own field, the always-excellent Mikkelsen was always going to do the same. They make an exceptional pair; when they last teamed up for 2012's The Hunt, the difficult drama about a teacher accused of acting inappropriately with one of his kindergarten students was one of the cinematic highlights of that year. As everything from Festen to Far From the Madding Crowd have also shown, Vinterberg consistently casts his films well, and Mikkelsen is in top-notch company here. Still, Another Round needs its leading man's versatility, and his ability to flit between stoicism, desperation, quiet despondency and charming swagger in particular. There's a reason that, thanks to the likes of Casino Royale, A Royal Affair, Hannibal, Doctor Strange and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Mikkelsen has become one of film and television's most engaging performers — and Another Round will have you saying cheers to that, and to its astute tragicomic look at coping with mundane lives and the realities of getting older in an extreme fashion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5R46NgopPw
Imagine a fully immersive theatre experience with a 'choose your own adventure' twist and lots of macabre nods to Edgar Allan Poe, and you'll have some idea of what to expect when A Midnight Visit takes over an abandoned Melbourne warehouse this winter. Following its sell-out interstate incarnations in Sydney and Perth, as well as winning Concrete Playground's Best New Event of 2018, A Midnight Visit is now being brought to life across 36 rooms in an eerie North Melbourne warehouse. Part performance, part playground and part film set, it'll be unlike any offering the city has seen before. Take on the dare and you'll be transported you into a dreamworld that takes its cues from those notoriously thrilling, dark-hearted works of Edgar Allan Poe. It'll channel more contemporary cult classics, too — think David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick and Stranger Things. Running from from Tuesday, July 29 to Sunday, November 3, A Midnight Visit has been conjured by a team of multi-disciplinary performers spanning theatre, dance, circus, burlesque and music, along with a hugely talented creative crew of innovative sound, set and costume designers. Each room within the labyrinth will alternate between the mysterious, the ghoulish and the sublime. Expect to plunge into a pink ball pit, crawl through tunnels and dance with the dead in a blood-red chamber. Exploring themes of madness, death, impermanence, guilt and memory and with hints to uneven floors, small spaces and many 'troubled characters', A Midnight Visit won't be for the faint-hearted. But, for those daring enough, a whimsical and seductive whirlwind experience awaits. If you're thinking you might need some sort of tipple to calm your nerves before all of that, or after, you'll find yourself in good hands at the on-site pop-up bar — The Raven's Rest — which will be serving up snacks and libations. A Midnight Visit will run from July 29 to November 3, at an abandoned warehouse (aka House of Usher – Funeral Services), 222 Macaulay Rd, North Melbourne. Tickets cost between $48–84 and are on sale now — we suggest you get in quick. Images: Anna Kucera and Toby Peet. UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 — Due to overwhelming demand, A Midnight Visit has extended its Melbourne season from September 15 to November 17. The above article has been updated to reflect this.
'Handjobs on Hudson' would be a better title for this film, and it turns out I'm not the first reviewer to say it. After the initial handjob scene between Franklin D. Roosevelt (Bill Murray) and his sheltered fifth cousin, the local naif Daisy (Laura Linney), I began seeing handjobs everywhere. Daisy seems to exist solely to simulate jerk offs, whether she's on her knees, vigorously rubbing her aged aunt's legs; shaking FDR's martini after he spills it on himself; or smearing mustard all over King George's hot dog. That's King George VI, the stuttering guy we all know and love thanks to The King's Speech. But where's Colin Firth? It would have been so winning to have he and Helena Bonham-Carter reprise their roles as King George and Queen Elizabeth, almost like a He-Man/She-Ra crossover episode. Instead we have the hilarious Samuel West and Olivia Colman, to whom I warmed, as caricaturish as their portrayals are. The plot centers on their 1939 visit to the Roosevelt household in upstate New York, a visit with diplomatic repurcussions at a critical moment when England sought America's help against Hitler. Framing this historical weekend is the story of Daisy's evolving relationship with the President, which comes across rather more degrading than comedic. Screenwriter Richard Nelson nonetheless tries to reimagine the gathering on the Hudson as a comedy of manners, as the King and Queen, FDR, his wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams), secretary Missy (Elizabeth Marvel), and mistress Daisy all navigate their own dramas. Cue the trope of uptight Britain being shown how to kick back and have a good time by its affluent colonial son, plied with late-night martinis, hot dogs, and not-so-subtle parallels made between the King's stutter and the President's polio. Visually, there's tons to enjoy, with all the trappings of the era captured impeccably by cinematographer Lol Crawley, who, mind you, seems to be having a private LOL at us some of the time (see: handjob scene). I didn't laugh at the jokes so much as listen out for Bill Murray's adorable mid-Atlantic accent. The film's failing, as many reviewers lament, is that its story is told through the inconsequential eyes of Daisy. Though the screenwriter met the real Daisy Suckley in the 1980s, he fails to connect to her; the climactic moment of betrayal comes across as unearned melodrama, offering very little emotional wisdom. I felt sorry for the character, because there's not enough appeal written into her for us to be truly on her side. At the end, composer Jeremy Sams' main theme repeats itself for the 50th time and we're offered a montage that glosses over too many questions. I genuinely hoped that as far as history and sexual politics went, it was inaccurate. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UQaScjiWDyY
The team at Red Stitch sink their teeth into the baby boomers with Love, Love, Love. Written by acclaimed British playwright Mike Bartlett (Cock) and named for the lyrics of The Beatles’ hit ‘All You Need Is Love’, this sharp comedy-drama tells the story of one English couple, Kenneth and Sandra, over the course of more than 40 years. In doing so, Bartlett indicts the failure and self-obsession of an entire generation who dreamed of changing the world. Running from Friday, June 5, until Saturday, July 4 (with previews from June 2-4), at the Red Stitch Actors Theatre on Chapel Street, this month-long production marks the Australian premiere of Bartlett’s play, after it first opened in the UK back in 2010. Denny Lawrence directs, following on from his marvellous work on Red Stitch’s production of Belleville, while company regulars Paul Ashcroft and Ella Caldwell play Kenneth and Sandra — Barlett’s vision of middle-class disappointment.
Thanks to Keith Courtney, Melburnians have already been able to walk through a huge house of mirrors in the past few years. And, with his help, moseying through an eerie and endless labyrinth of doors became a reality, too. The homegrown installation artist isn't done setting up massive mazes just yet, however — and his latest is designed to resemble a huge, human-sized kaleidoscope. Fittingly called Kaleidoscope — and open daily from 2–9pm, with tickets costing $15 — this installation isn't small. It's a 700-square-metre expanse of glass, steel, mirrors and moving prisms that features a labyrinth of corridors decked out in a revolving showcase of lights and colours. Originally debuting in Melbourne for the city's Rising Festival, and having already popped up outside Arts Centre Melbourne, it's currently shimmering and luring Geelong locals in the Johnstone Park forecourt, sticking around until Sunday, June 18. [caption id="attachment_858144" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Both House of Mirrors and 1000 Doors have also graced Geelong — and, like them both, this one has been crafted to be immersive as possible. Expect to have your senses disoriented while you're strolling through, including both motion and gravity. Expect to see plenty of shifting illusions among the ever-changing array of light and colour as well, and to be drawn in by the installation's soundscape in the process. "No one will have the same experience in Kaleidoscope – this is a multi-sensory and at times physical experience where the visitor is completely submerged in sound and light – a vortex of serenity to somewhere or nowhere," explains Courtney. In bringing the massive piece to life, the artist has teamed up with visual artist Ash Keating, composer Tamil Rogeon and artist Samantha Slicer, plus a team of highly skilled technicians. [caption id="attachment_901579" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Sam Slicer[/caption] Top image: Sophie Argiriou
Do you like scary movies? If your answer is yes — and that question has you itching to revisit Scream — then Jakop Ahlbom's Horror is for you. The acclaimed Swedish director and film aficionado has turned his love of all things frightening into an internationally acclaimed physical theatre production, and it's making its first trip to Australia Serving up spine-tingling thrills while nodding to everything from The Shining to Rosemary's Baby to The Exorcist, Horror blends black humour with the genre that gives the show its name, complete with a host of cinematic special effects that aren't usually used in live theatre. That means not just blood-splatter aplenty and slasher flick-style orchestral screeching, but swinging an axe through a wealth of classic movies and tropes in a head-spinning fashion. Expect more than a few chills when it heads to the Arts Centre Melbourne from September 18 to 22. Still game? The smart, sinister homage sets its creepy fun in a haunted house — where else? — where a young woman and her friends are forced to confront vengeful spirits still smarting from a traumatic family event. Trading dialogue for illusion, mime, movement and music, it'll make you feel like you're a mere few steps away from a real-life horror flick. And, thanks to Ahlbom's stage magic, you will be. Images: Sanne Peper.
From the shaken to the stirred and everything in-between — this May, the country's world-class mixology scene will be celebrated in a very big way at a month-long drinks festival. The inaugural Australian Cocktail Month is set to kick off Sunday, May 1, descending on venues across a heap of Aussie cities with a diverse lineup of crafty collaborations and exclusive concoctions. In total, 145 bars are taking part in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hobart, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney and Wollongong — and in Melbourne, of course. Here in the Victorian capital, 24 spots will help Australian Cocktail Month celebrate its second year. And, both boozy and alcohol-free cocktails will be on the menu. Wondering where you'll be heading? Hit up local favourites such as Bomba, Bar Margaux, Nick & Nora's, The Everleigh, Black Pearl and Lover, for starters. Along with the other venues taking part, they'll spend the month whipping up creative-charged festival cocktails (and mocktails) using drops from both local brands — think: Brix Distillers, Four Pillars and Archie Rose — and international labels. To get among the best of it, grab a $20 Australian Cocktail Month ticket and enjoy full access to all of the participating venues' cocktail creations. Alcoholic drinks will be priced at $14 a pop, with low-alcohol and booze-free options clocking in at $10. [caption id="attachment_723612" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] Top image: The Everleigh by Gareth Sobey.
Have you ever exchanged quips with Siri? Casually referred to your laptop by a gender-specific pronoun? If so, it's probably not a stretch for you to imagine the day when your devices become more than just your tools, they become your friends. It's not even that we need them to pass the Turing test and trick us into thinking they're human; we'll anthropomorphise at the drop of a hat. So with such a lovable bag of bolts as the robot in Robot and Frank, probably the first indie robot buddy heist movie, we stand no chance. The caretaker robot enters the life of retired cat burglar Frank (Frank Langella) when his high-flying son, Hunter (James Marsden), and humanitarian daughter, Madison (Liv Tyler), yield to the fact that they don't have time to visit their father in his wilderness home to give him the attention he now needs. Frank is showing signs of dementia, and although the curmudgeon resists this android imposition, he's stuck with it, as only Hunter knows the password to shut him off. However, Frank's opinion on the robot starts to shift when he realises it's been programmed to do just what's best for his health, with no limitations on the legality of those measures. He soon has the robot picking locks and sitting on stakeouts with him, spectacularly reviving his thieving career, all in the name of keeping his mind and body agile. As in any buddy movie, the banter between the two leads is key, and in Robot and Frank its magnificent. Grouchy Frank and the indefatigable robot, with the honey voice of Peter Sarsgaard, are a classic odd couple, with the twist that it's Frank's humanity that breathes 'life' into the strictly logical machine; his idiosyncrasies give it a constant puzzle to respond to. When Frank forces the robot into conversation with Mr Darcy, the robot assistant of librarian Jennifer (Susan Sarandon), the two enquire after each other's functioning and then go into stand-by mode. Along with its hijinks, Robot and Frank has marvellous subtlety and grace of a kind that's almost rare in film. There's a parallel there between the erasure of human and hard-drive memory, questions of when identity begins and ends in each, but these are washed gently over the film by the controlled hands of director Jake Schreier and writer Christopher Ford, for who this is their first feature. Likewise, the film may be among the first to look at the effects of technological change without judgement or hyperbole, and that ends up being an affecting thing to see. Its robots resembles the current humanoid models you see coming out of Japan, more chunky Lego minifig than sleek automaton, and the world around it still looks familiarly lo-fi. Change, however, is coming to the library, where books are being removed as the institution reorientates to being "a place for community". That's not good or bad, the film says, but it is what's happening. And it is sad. It's unexpected, but by not being reactionary about the moral consequences of technology, Robot and Frank allows true mourning for the world we're leaving behind. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EiFqT5-6JQg
The NGV is about to open its most ambitious collection to date, featuring 300 artists, architects, designers and creative practitioners. Melbourne Now celebrates what makes Melbourne the buzzing, cultural and creative hub we know and love. The architecture and design element of the collection will feature a large Community Hall designed by McBride Charles Ryan to be set up in the foyer of the NGV International. There are over 600 events programmed at for the venue during the four months of Melbourne Now. Ewan McEoin's work also looks to be an intriguing feature, as his immersive light installation will explore the city and how we navigate our way through it. The fashion, textiles and jewellery section will include the likes of the wonderful Toni Maticevski, cult brand Perks and Mini and the endless talent found at the Designer Thinking group exhibition. Shoe lovers will be drawn towards Preston Zly Design, where famous shoes from children's classics (think Dorothy's ruby shoes and Cinderella's glass slipper) have been recreated, and there is also the Shoemakers exhibition for more fancy footwear fun. This is just a small sample of the immense creative talent this exhibition will have to offer. The Community Hall also encourages participation — check out the NGV blog to see how you could get involved. If you are passionate about Melbourne and its dynamic, creative identity, this comprehensive collection of exceptional work is not to be missed.
Which do you love more: picking up a haul of new plants at bargain prices, enjoying that much cherished weekend sleep-in or having a few brews? If your answer is all three, you'll be pleased to know you can have your cake and eat it too when St Kilda's Espy plays host to a couple of after-dark plant sales later this month. Greenery-loving pop-up Wandering Jungle invites punters to drop by after work, pick up some lush new foliage for their collections and then party on into the night. Kicking off at 4pm on both Wednesday, May 22 and Thursday, May 23, the event will showcase a variety of indoor plant species for you to browse and buy, from birds of paradise to plenty of cacti to the good ol' fiddle leaf fig. To round out the evening shopping experience, The Espy's two restaurants will be serving up their usual snacks — think next-level pub eats in one and Cantonese fare in the other — while a local DJ works their magic on the decks. And drinks-wise, there'll be a heap of cocktails and beers available at the sale — or, you can explore of of The Espy's 12 bars (yes, 12). Wandering Jungle Nighttime Plant Sale runs from 4–10pm.
Alaskan-bred, Portland-based indie foursome Portugal. The Man will be hitting the road for an epic string of Australian dates this November. We're talking a whopping 25 dates — and all free. Presented by Corona Extra, the tour kicks off in Western Australia on October 31 and travels through Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria before finishing up in Melbourne on November 30. With seven albums under their belt — including their most recent, Danger Mouse-produced, 2013 album Evil Friends — and playing up to 200 shows a year since they started, Portugal. The Man aren't ones to shy away from a long touring stint. They're big ol' festival favourites, making highlight lists at all the big guns from Coachella, Lollapalooza to Laneway Festival and Splendour. After their huge US tour wraps up, the foursome are going to bring their psychedelic, indie outdoorsiness to Australia's snuggly pubs and bars. Corona's last epic Australian tour saw Sydney's beloved Cloud Control hit the road for an unfathomable amount of free shows, so we'll see how the Portland locals go with such a schedule. Get along, burl out 'Got It All', 'Evil Friends' and 'So American' like you're front and centre for a P.TM festival set. It's freakin' free. Corona Extra Presents Portugal. The Man National Dates: Western Australia Friday, 31 October — Caves House 18 Yallingup Beach Rd, Yallingup at 6pm, then Settlers Tavern 114 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River at 10pm. Saturday, 1 November — The Left Bank, 15 Riverside Rd, East Fremantle at 3.30pm, then Northshore Tavern, Shop 66, Whitford City Shopping Centre, Whitfords Avenue, Hillarys at 6.30pm. Sunday, 2 November — The OBH, 1 Eric St, Cottesloe at 3.30pm. Queensland Friday, 7 November — Sol Bar, Ocean St, Maroochydore at 6pm Saturday, 8 November — Paddo Tavern, 186 Given Terrace, Paddington at 3pm, then Jubilee Hotel 470 St Pauls Terrace, Fortitude Valleyat 9pm. Sunday, 9 November — The Boardwalk Hotel, Marina Village Shopping Centre, Santa Barbara Rd, Hope Island at 3pm, then The Coolangatta Hotel, Marine Pde, Coolangatta at 7pm. Friday, 14 November — Komune, 144-146 Marine Parade, Coolangatta at 7pm. New South Wales Saturday, 15 November — Hotel Brunswick, 4 Mullumbimby St, Brunswick Heads at 3.30pm, then Beach Hotel Crnr Jonson & Bay St, Byron Bay at 7.30pm. Sunday, 16 November — Park Beach Hotel, 84 Ocean Parade, Coffs Harbour at 5pm. Friday, 21 November — Towradgi Hotel, 170 Pioneer Rd, Towradgi at 7.30pm. Saturday, 22 November — Bucket List, Shop 1, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Pavilion, Bondi at 2pm, then Manly Wharf Bar, East Esplanade Shop 19, Manly at 10pm. Sunday, 23 November — Watsons Bay Hotel, 1 Military Rd, Watsons Bay at 3.30pm, then Old Joes, Crnr Kingsway & Erouera Rd, Cronulla at 8pm. Victoria Friday, 28 November — Torquay Hotel, Bell St, Torquay at 9pm. Saturday, 29 November — Westernport Hotel, 161 Marine Pde, San Remo at 9pm. Sunday, 30 November — The Deck, 2-4 Davey St, Frankston at 8.30pm. All tour dates are 18+ only and free entry. More info here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EITwxJrZKj0
Acclaimed live art duo Action Hero is taking over the stage for a week and a half-long residency at Arts House in North Melbourne. Between May 24 and June 3, Bristol-based performers James Stenhouse and Gemma Paintin will present a trio of shows, each of which will explore pop culture iconography "as a weapon and as a shared cultural memory". The takeover begins with Hoke's Bluff (May 24–27), a show that mines the cornball tropes of underdog sports movies to find genuine beauty amidst the myths of modern day America. Up next comes Slap Talk (May 28), a six hour-long shouting match inspired by the verbal violence of 24-hour news channels. The show is free, with viewers welcome to enter and exit at any time. Last but not least, Wrecking Ball (May 31 to June 3) is described as "a funny, surreal and unsettling play" about a female celebrity and a male photographer that explores subtle questions of power, abuse, consent and control.
If you're yet to get acquainted with the unique combination of fried chicken, sneakers and champagne that is Butter, here's your chance. The Sydney favourite has whipped up a limited-edition fried chicken sandwich that's available to buy right here in Melbourne. Available to eat in-store or takeaway at Richmond's Kong BBQ from January 24–February 3, the Kim Chi'Ken Sandwich combines Butter's fried chicken and the Japanese and Korean barbecue flavours found throughout the menu at Kong. In a soft milk bun, you'll find a big fried tender, kimchi butter, pickled fennel and cucumber, togarashi spice and a fried egg. All for $18.50. It's oh-so yolky and stacked high — so eating it will definitely require a napkin or two. To celebrate the collab, a limited number of Butter X Kong t-shirts will also be available online and in-store for $50. It's the second time in as many years that Butter has made an appearance at Kong BBQ, with the store hosting a one day Fire, Fried Chicken and Champagne pop-up there last October. Hopefully this means we can expect even more of them in the future, too.
At the risk of underselling it, it's been a rough couple of months for democracy. The public's faith in political institutions has tanked and, to be honest, it's hard to imagine that changing anytime soon. So it is, with a rather depressing sense of timeliness, that Aidan Fennessy's The Way Things Work makes its Victorian debut. On stage at Red Stitch from January 31 through to March 5, the two-man production begins with a minister under the pump after a key infrastructure project goes disastrously wrong. What unfolds from there is a tale of corruption and ego in the corridors of power. Sound familiar to anyone? The Way Things Work earned strong reviews during its initial NSW run, where it no doubt hit especially close to home. The Melbourne production will be directed by Fennessy, with actors Joe Petruzzi and Peter Houghton treading the boards.
Fancy getting a little groovy this New Year's Eve? Well, you'd better bust out the tie-dye, dust off those flares and nab yourself a ticket to dance out 2022 at Stomping Ground's Summer of Love shindig. On Saturday, December 31, the Collingwood brewpub will be time-travelling back to the 60s, 70s and 80s for a big night of peace, love and good vibes — infused with plenty of beer, of course. Guests will enjoy their fill of wine, cocktails and house brews (think, favourites like the Gipps St Pale Ale, the Laneway Lager and the fruity Smash sour range), while snacking on roaming canapes throughout the night. What's more, you'll spend the evening grooving to a retro-tastic soundtrack, with DJs spinning back-to-back classics until 1am. You're invited to go all out on the costume front, too, with prizes going to the best-dressed punters. All-inclusive tickets clock in at $175 — but there's only a limited number up for grabs, so you'd best be quick.
We can't think of a much better way to shed spring and slip happily into summer, than a laid-back weekend of live tunes and camping by the Great Ocean Road. Which, incidentally, is exactly what's on offer at the second edition of Loch Hart Music Festival. Returning to its lush farmland home, set amongst the coastal surrounds of Princetown, the boutique BYO festival runs from Friday, November 15, to Sunday, November 17, promising a weekend of good vibes and great sounds. A very happy lineup will be lead by indie-pop darlings Alpine, joined on the bill by Surf Coast natives Didirri and artist-producer Alice Ivy. Moaning Lisa, Cousin Tony's Brand New Firebird, hip hop star Genesis Owusu and Ruby Gill are just some of the other names set to grace the Loch Hart stage. As well as all those tunes, Saturday's comedy hour will dish up laughs from some top emerging comics, morning yoga sessions will help soothe those muscles, and you'll find top-notch eats including Fugazi's woodfired pizza. Bring in your own booze, or stop by the pop-up James Bully Forbes Bar for a couple of local drops from Forrest Brewery. You can even add a bit of luxury to your festival experience, with one of the Loch Hart glamping options.
The brand synonymous with Melbourne's coffee culture is taking a left-hand turn into music exhibition. Beginning in April, South Melbourne's St Ali will host a series of free live music events under the Live at St Ali banner. For their inaugural show they've tapped up-and-coming hip hop soul collective 30/70, along with DJ and Equinox Records owner Mike Gurrieri. It's all set to take place from 7pm on Wednesday, April 6. St Ali chef Andrew Hearnden will be working overtime in the kitchen, cooking up cheeseburgers, fried chicken and fries (as well as a veggie burger option). There'll also be local beers courtesy of Sample Brew. For more information about Live At St Ali #1, check out the event on Facebook. The gig is billed as the first of many live events, so be sure to keep a lookout for future shows.
Spring has most definitely sprung. And to celebrate, the Duke of Wellington has transformed its rooftop into a Spring Scent Bar. Step out of the gritty CBD and into a wonderland of glorious flowers, irresistible aromas, refreshing beverages and... cheese. Lots of it. Get started with a signature spring cocktail, matched with an edible scent. There are four on the list, including the floral Elderflower Spritz made with vodka, prosecco, elderflower syrup lime and mint and the Violet Sour, made up of gin, violet liqueur, lemon, sugar and egg white. Or you can opt for the Hibiscus Brumble or the Rosita, which is a rose-infused margarita. Plus, you'll be pairing these with edible 'scents' such as liquorice, yuzu, lavender and garden mint. Match your pick with a one-metre cheese board, loaded with a chef's selection of local, handmade cheeses, as well as San Daniele prosciutto, calabrese hot salami, Castlemaine bresaola, Mount Zero olives, fig chutney, grapes, lavosh, sourdough, pickles and mustard. You're welcome to drop into the Spring Scent Bar anytime, but, to be sure of a seat, it's a good idea to make a booking. Do that just over here.
You wouldn't know from looking at it, but the Independent Photography Festival (IPF) is only just entering its second year. Made in joint partnership between the Hard Workers Club, Smalltime Books and The Thousands Melbourne, this small yet impressive festival is becoming home to some of the most appealing and dynamic photographic works in Australia. At least that's what I can tell from their schmick website and killer contributing artists. The festival, which runs from November 2 - 10, can be roughly split into two parts. Firstly, there's the extra fun stuff — the events that get you out, talking, and drinking with beautiful creative people. There's the IPF Photo Prize which will be opening Novemeber 2 at 6pm. Showing over 200 prints from both local and international photographers, this one is definitely worth a lookee as there will be work to cater to all tastes. (Let's be honest, you can't please everyone.) If you are into this mingling business, there will also be Workshop Day on Sunday November 3 for all those that are interested in the making of the art and a Photo Book and Zine Fair on Saturday November 9 for those that enjoy collecting. The other facet of this independent photography festival is probably the most important — the individual displays of photography. Exhibitions from familiar names such as Sean Fennessy and Lauren Bamford will be on show, as well as larger group exhibitions under exciting titles such as Deadbeat Club. Most larger events are being held at the art design space, Magic Johnston, but many of the smaller shows can be found in little nooks around the inner northern suburbs. It may not be the biggest of offerings, but IPF will give you an opportunity to stumble across something special this week, and surely that's what a festival is all about in the first place.
UPDATE, February 12, 2021: Booksmart is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. When Booksmart premiered at SXSW in March to widespread acclaim, it earned immediate comparisons to another teen-centric comedy. Like Superbad, it follows two high-school outsiders who finally let loose before graduation. The film also stars a member of the Feldstein family — Beanie Feldstein, who is best known for Bad Neighbours 2, Lady Bird and the television version of What We Do in the Shadows, and happens to be Jonah Hill's sister. But likening this hilarious exploration of female friendship to a male-centric flick doesn't do Booksmart justice. Nor does badging it a gender-swapped twist on its ostensible predecessor. Drawing upon a smart, sharp script (by seasoned TV writers Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins, as well as The Spy Who Dumped Me's Susanna Fogel and Isn't It Romantic's Katie Silberman), actor-turned-filmmaker Olivia Wilde isn't trying to create a female clone of anything. Rather, the first-time director brings an insightful and amusing story to the screen, plus two relatable characters that make it shine. Yes, they're young women. Yes, the film is filled with gross-out gags and other outlandishness. And yes, this type of fare doesn't usually focus on girls, favour a feminine perspective or stem exclusively from female voices. That says as much about the film industry as it does about Booksmart, however, and it isn't a new issue. As seen with Bridesmaids and the spate of comedies that followed, comparing female-fronted movies to their supposed male counterparts has become society's way of coping with a clear failing. We don't have much of a framework for films like these because they're much too rare and, even as they gradually increase in number, we're not conditioned to seeing women in these situations. Addressing that gap by broadening the range of tales told really couldn't be more crucial. But it's equally important to recognise a standout picture not because it recalls another flick, but because it's truly a delight on its own merits. With its affectionate energy, inclusive vibe, side-splitting gags and excellent lead performances, Booksmart boasts plenty of cheer-worthy highlights, each making the movie's generally familiar narrative feel fresh. The day before they're due to don their caps and gowns, listen to speeches and farewell everything they know, firm best friends Molly (Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) suddenly come to a realisation: they've actually wasted the past few years. While the studious duo worked hard to secure spots at impressive colleges, their partying peers also scored places at prestigious schools. An overachiever who'll never be told that she can't do something, Molly is especially incensed, convincing Amy to use their last night as secondary students to make up for what they've been missing. Coordinating outfits, hopping between celebrations, dealing with pesky adults, chasing their respective crushes, trying mind-altering substances — that's Molly and Amy's big leap from brainiacs to party gals. As they jump around Los Angeles, they not only navigate a series of raucous antics, but encounter a lively roster of supporting players, including Jason Sudeikis as their Lyft-driving principal, Jessica Williams as the teacher who's ready to rage with them, and scene-stealer Billie Lourd as a free-spirited classmate. Charting her protagonists' eventful evening, Wilde always finds the right approach for every moment. Booksmart segues effortlessly between spirited soundtrack choices, anarchic comic set-pieces and one of the most memorable animated scenes to hit cinemas in years, with each directorial selection intimately tied to the picture's central pair. That's the key to this astute coming-of-age comedy, because none of the revelry means anything if it doesn't take the characters on a journey. If Booksmart had just stuck with wild hijinks and kept its fun skin-deep, it would've still proven an enjoyable night at the movies, immersing audiences in its upbeat party atmosphere. And yet, the film ventures beyond hedonistic thrills and straightforward life lessons. While those elements are part of the movie, they're the equivalent of streamers and balloons — nice to have, but not the main attraction. Instead, Booksmart uses its madcap merriment to delve into Molly and Amy's close bond, and the reality that it too will change along with everything else in their lives. Each episodic escapade speaks to something within their complex friendship, unpacking a connection that's loving and messy, shifting yet solid, and supportive but sometimes overwhelming all at once. Relationships, especially lifelong platonic friendships between adolescents on the cusp of adulthood, are like that — something which this equally hilarious and heartfelt film embraces. It's no understatement to say that, even with everything else turning out swimmingly, this would've been a completely different movie without Feldstein and Dever. Wilde asked the duo to live together to develop a genuine rapport, and the naturalistic results show in every scene. Booksmart isn't short on dialogue, but it conveys just as much via body language, with the talented actors wearing their camaraderie like a second skin. That said, they're not just a complicated, compelling, compliment-slinging double act. Whether Feldstein is standing up to Molly's taunting peers, or Dever is showing how the out-but-uninitiated Amy remains awkward about love and sex, Booksmart's rising stars ensure that their on-screen alter-egos couldn't feel more authentic. With its frank and funny snapshot of one crazy, revelatory night, the film does the same with the entire teenage experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwojM2j0Xb0
There's never been a better time to get acquainted with the top-notch wineries located right here in Melbourne's own backyard. And that's especially the case given that a slew of Macedon Ranges-based cellar doors are coming together to showcase their finest drops for the next edition of the Summertime Fling Festival. From Saturday, January 8–Sunday, January 30, wineries right across this cool-climate wine-growing region will throw open their doors to deliver a jam-packed program of wine, food and music events for all palates. Escape the city to unwind with some live jazz at Kyneton Ridge Estate (January 9 and 16) or head to Cleveland Winery to play petanque while sipping pinot among the vines (multiple dates). Parkside Winery and Farm is hosting a series of breezy, sparkling-filled brunch sessions (January 9, 16 and 23), Gisborne Peak is serving up a riesling-matched seafood fiesta (January 22) and Hesket Estate invites you for a sumptuous Italian lunch feast in its stunning Cellar Door Pavilion (January 29). And with stacks more live music, masterclasses, tours, feasts and tastings among this broad-ranging lineup, it seems the Macedon Ranges might be just the fling you're looking for this summer.
There are few types of resident more thrilled to have reason to rant than a live music venue neighbour. While noise complaints from chip-shouldered, next-door killjoys isn't news to Melbourne live music venues, the Victorian State Government is opening a serious can of worms with a new host of targeted complaint-enabling surveys, unveiled by The Age. With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking for hardcore feedback on the impact of nearby live music venues, more than 50,000 residents with homes near bandrooms, entertainment centres and gig spots will be able to air their grievances (or show their support) in Melbourne's CBD, inner-north, west and south-east. Tackling noise pollution and assessing the effectiveness of existing noise laws, EPA Victoria will compare the survey results to the city's noise levels; with measurements taken from the main hubs around Fitzroy, South Yarra and Northcote. The surveys could be seriously bad news for Melbourne's live music venues, as a single noise complaint can cost a venue thousands of dollars in one hit. Kicking off with your home address, the short survey asks questions such as: "How often are you bothered, disturbed or annoyed by music noise from public entertainment venues (such as pubs, clubs or outdoor entertainment venues?". Follow ups include time of day, whether it interrupted your study and any changes you made to your home as a result. The survey, which has extended its deadline to June 1, is open to the public as well as the targeted neighbouring residents. Whether the survey leads to closures or restrictions remains to be seen, but you can bet your earplugs there'll be furious written fist-shaking from poorly-researched new homeowners to deal with. You can make your own comments on the survey over here. Be nice. Via The Age and Tone Deaf.
With just a few weeks left of winter, you might have thought you'd survived the worst of it. But nope, the Bureau of Meteorology has announced a severe weather warning across Australia's southeast, saying the region looks set to cop the strongest weather system it's seen all season over the next few days. That means blustery winds, pouring rain and some very low temperatures, so you'd best start plotting a weekend of Netflix and couch time. SEVERE WEATHER UPDATE: strongest weather system this winter for SE Australia, with possible sleet/snow on #NSW #Qld border. Video current at 12 pm AEST, 7 August 2019. Check warnings at https://t.co/0iBm75CO79 & follow advice from emergency services pic.twitter.com/0rzydto2yC — Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) August 7, 2019 A severe weather warning for Victoria reveals the state's due for some damaging winds, with gusts of between 90 and 100 kilometres per hour developing across western regions today and moving into eastern parts by tonight. NSW is forecast to cop the same wild, windy conditions from this afternoon, with plenty of showers across the southern inland parts spreading further up the coast to Sydney tonight. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1159081331378262016 A series of cold fronts are set to hit most of NSW through until Sunday, so you can expect blustery conditions for your weekend, with possible thunderstorms to match. Sydney's expected to dip to lows of 11 degrees tomorrow and to 8 degrees across the weekend, though that wind chill factor will make it feel a whole lot frostier. (It may be a little chilly at the City2Surf start line.) It's good news for snow bunnies, however, with solid snowfalls forecast for Thredbo and Perisher. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1158583525051969537 Down south, Melbourne's in for even chillier conditions, with a temperature top of just 13 degrees today, 11 degrees on Friday and Saturday, and 12 degrees to round out the weekend. Rain is pretty much a given across all four days and there's a strong chance of thunderstorms. Alpine regions even look set to score blizzards tonight and again Friday morning, including snow fields Hotham, Falls Creek and Mt Buller. Between 50 centimetres–one metre of fresh snow is forecast to dump across those slopes. But even if you're not hitting the mountain, you could still see some of the white stuff — there's potential snow forecast for low lying areas across Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. Top image: Thredbo
